Romanian pigmeat exporters have been given approval to at last sell into the rest of the EU.

Brussels has lifted a ban in place over swine flu control concerns that has been in place since Romania joined the EU in 2007. 

Concerns have now been allayed by a “channelled system” of exports, said a note from the European Commission, whose standing committee on the food chain and animal health made the decision.

The system restricts Romanian pigmeat and related products destined for EU markets to designated farms using high-quality bio-security controls, whose meat is handled by selected slaughterhouses and processers. “Romania has substantiated the…reliability of the channelled system” Brussels said.